Process for making roofing, saturated felts, and the like



Oct. 13, 1931. A. G. LEONARD, JR 1,827,026

PROCESS FOR "AKING ROOFING, SATURATED FELTS, AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 2a, 1928 filiamr:

@ I ZZ7uwCiLaonwwiJn Patented Oct. 13, 1931 ARTHUR G. LEONARD, JR., OF WILMINGTON, ILLINOIS PROCESS FOR MAKING ROOFING, SATURATED FELTS, AND THE LIKE Application filed January 28, 1928. Serial No. 250,165.

According to prior practice in the manufacture of saturated felts, prepared roofing, and the like, the felt is produced and formed into rolls at a paper mill and the saturating,

coating, etc. is done at another plant, sometimes a great distance from the paper mills, and frequently the rolls, are stored for considerable periods at one or both places and are handled a number of times.

This system has many disadvantages which increase the cost of production and in some instances reduce the quality of the product.

First, the formation of the rolls, their storage, transportation and handling involve considerable items of expense. Second, much of the felt is rendered unfit for use by damagein handling the heavy rolls. Third, the splicing of the rolls delays production at the saturating plant and causes loss of material. Fourth, the paper absorbs moisture not infrequently to the extent of 12 percent of its weight which moisture retards saturation and often causes the saturating baths to boil over, making it necessary to shut down the plant and clean up the overflow. Fifth, the

cold felt absorbs great quantity of heat from I the baths and in winter is often at such a low temperature as to interfere with proper saturation. Sixth, variations in the felt that affect the saturation cannot be anticipated.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a process and apparatus by the use of which these disadvantages are eliminated and, generally speaking, this is accomplished by so grouping and arranging the various niachines that the manufacturing steps can be performed with substantial continuity and the hot dry paper passes without consequential delay to the saturater.

The cost of forming, handling and storing the rolls, and the loss by damage in handling are thus eliminated the felt is delivered to the bath in the most advantageous condition for 15 saturation; and variations in stock causing variations in felt can be anticipated at the saturater.

Further objects and advantages will appear as the disclosure proceeds and the description L0 is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, and in which Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the apparatus and the steps by which the felt is produced, and

Fig. 2 is a similar diagram illustrating the apparatus and the steps by which the felt is converted, in this instance, into roofing.

Referring first to Fig. 1, 10 indicates a pipe supplying water and pulp to a mixing box 11 from which it passes through a chute 12 to screens 13 and thence by a pipe 14 to the vat, "enerally indicated by 15, where the incipient felt is formed by the cylinder mold 16. The felt is removed from the mold in a continuous sheet 17 by What is generally known as a blanket felt 18, but for greater clarity here is called a belt. The felt is carried by the belt, first around the guide roll 19, then over the suction roll 20, and then through the wringer 21. At 22 the belt returns and the felt passes :"round the guides 23 and 24, through another wringer 25 and then goes to the heated driers 26, from which it passes to the calender 27.

Ordinarily the felt passes from the calender to a reel, which according to this invention is omitted and instead the felt goes from the calender to the trimmer 28, which trims the edges and otherwise prepares it for use.

Ordinarily the felt goes from the trimmer to a winder, but according to this invention, it goes instead to a loop 29 from which it passes to the saturater, generally indicated by 30,

thence it goes through a saturated loop, generally indicated at 31, being subjected the while to blasts issuing from a header 32, thence it passes through a coater 33, a wringer 34 and a scraper 35, thence under the grit hopper 36, thence through the cooling stack 31, thence through the finished-loop 38, from which it is drawn by the pulling rolls 39, and fed past a cutter to other apparatus 41 which may be a roll forming mechanism, or means for converting it into shingle strips, or the like.

The several operations are carried on in sequence without material interruption. If,

for any reason, the formation of the felt or other operations ordinarily performed in the paper mills are temporarily delayed the loop 29 will supply the felt for, the subsequent operation, and the same loop will store up felt during a temporary stop in the saturating or subsequent operation, and other loops may be interposed at points where they may be found desirable under the particular conditions existing at any plant.

The saturant in the bath 30, the coating in the bath 33 and the grit in-the hopper 36 may be varied to suit conditions. In the manufacture of roofing the saturant is usually a compound based upon asphaltic or bituminous material. The coating isalso usually a compound of similar ingredients of somewhat higher melting point. The saturating compound is usually maintained at about 400 or 425 F. and the driers 26 are usually maintained at a temperature of about 390 or 400 F. from which it is clear that in accordance with this invention the felt will reach the saturater at a temperature not greatly below that of the compound and, hence, there is a material saving of heat in addition to the fact that there is an absence of moisture and an absence of any tendency to freeze the saturant before it has time to properly penetrate the pores of the felt.

The arrangement illustrated and the procedure described is the best known to me at present, but I realize that some of the advantages of the invention may be retained by a different arrangement of the basic units of the apparatus, and some of them can be retained even if the felt is cut at intervals in the region now occupied by loop 29.

v I claim as my invention: 7

1. The process of makin saturated felts and the like which inclu es continuously making felt in a continuous sheet, continuously drying the same with heat and continuously passing the dried sheet through a saturant free of aqueous moisture, before it can absorb moisture. from the atmosphere.

2. The process of making saturated felts and the like which includes making a continuous sheet of felt and passing it consecutively through a drier and a saturator substantially free of aqueous moisture without intermediate reeling, and in one continuous operation.

3. The rocess of making saturated felts and the li e which includes formin a sheet of felt from wet fiber, drying the elt with heat and immediately passing it through a liquid asphaltic waterproof compound free of aqueous moisture.

4. The process of making saturated felts and the like which includes felting wet fiber,

it with a hot waterproof compound substantiallyfree of aqueous moisture.

5. The process of making saturated felts and the like which includes forming a sheet of felt from wet fiber, expelling the moisture therefrom and immediately thereafter, and

steamers passing it through a heated water-proof as-' phaltic compound.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ARTHUR G. LEONARD, JR.

' drying it with heat and immediately treating 

